GWAR

GWAR are an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984 and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers known collectively as Slave Pit Inc. Grotesque costumes and an elaborate science-fiction mythology cast the members as barbaric, interplanetary warriors, while the shows stage enactments of graphic violence that leave the audience sprayed with fake blood — stagecraft that regularly gets the band labelled shock rock by the media. Fifteen studio albums, two Grammy nominations and more than 820,000 records sold in the United States stand behind them. Michael Bishop has sung lead as Blöthar the Berserker since 2014, alongside Mike Derks, Brad Roberts, Casey Orr and, since 2024, Tommy Meehan; the EP The Return of Gor Gor followed in July 2025.